Izibalo zabantu abashona ezingozini ezihilela abahamba ngezinyawo ziyanda eTexas futhi manje zibanga cishe oyedwa kwabahlanu kubo bonke abashonile ezingozini zezimoto esifundazweni. Ngonyaka odlule, abantu abangu-668 bashona ezingozini ezihambisana nabahamba ngezinyawo eTexas, okwenyuke ngo-5% kusukela ngo-2018, kanti abangaphezu kuka-1,300 balimala kabi. Izingozi ezihilela abagibeli bamabhayisikili ngo-2019 nazo zabulala abantu abangu-68 kwathi abangu-313 balimala kabi. Lezi zinombolo zilandela umkhuba othusayo obone ukufa kwabahamba ngezinyawo nabahamba ngamabhayisikili kwanda eminyakeni emihlanu edlule.
Endaweni yaseLufkin ngo-2019, kwaba nezingozi zomgwaqo ezingu-35 ezazihilela abahamba ngezinyawo, okwaholela ekufeni kwabantu abangu-9 kanye nokulimala okubi okungu-9. Ngawo lowo nyaka, kwaba nezingozi zomgwaqo ezingu-13 ezazihilela abagibeli bamabhayisikili endaweni yaseLufkin, okwaholela ekutheni kungabikho muntu oshonile kanye nokulimala okubi okungu-4.
Endaweni yaseTyler ngo-2019, kwaba nezingozi zomgwaqo ezingu-93 ezazihilela abahamba ngezinyawo, okwaholela ekufeni kwabantu abangu-19 kanye nokulimala okubi okungu-36. Ngawo lowo nyaka, kwaba nezingozi zomgwaqo ezingu-22 ezazihilela abagibeli bamabhayisikili endaweni yaseTyler, okwaholela ekutheni kungabikho muntu oshonile kanye nokulimala okubi okuyisithupha.
Izikhulu zokuphepha zithi imbangela eyinhloko yalokhu kwanda ibangelwa ukwehluleka kwabantu ukulandela imithetho kahulumeni eklanyelwe ukuvikela abahamba ngezinyawo nabahamba ngamabhayisikili. Ngenxa yalokho, i-TxDOT iqala umkhankaso omusha wokuqwashisa umphakathi kule nyanga okhuthaza bonke abantu baseTexas ukuba bashayele ngobuhlakani, bahambe ngobuhlakani futhi bagibele ngamabhayisikili ngobuhlakani.
"Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ushayela, uhamba ngezinyawo, noma ugibela ibhayisikili, sikhumbuza abantu baseTexas ukuthi benze ukuphepha emgwaqweni kube yinto ebaluleke kakhulu uma bephuma behambahamba," kusho uMqondisi Omkhulu we-TxDOT uJames Bass. "Ubhubhane lwe-COVID-19 lusifundise ukubaluleka kokuzinakekela thina nabanye emiphakathini yethu, futhi sicela umphakathi ukuthi usebenzise lowo mthwalo wemfanelo wokwabelana ngomgwaqo ngokuphephile nokulalela imithetho yomgwaqo."
Cishe ingxenye yabo bonke abahamba ngezinyawo nabahamba ngamabhayisikili abashona ngonyaka odlule emigwaqweni nasemigwaqo emikhulu yaseTexas babephakathi kweminyaka engama-21 nengama-49. Iningi labo lalihlala ezindaweni zasemadolobheni, kanti iningi—73% labahamba ngezinyawo kanye nama-90% abahamba ngamabhayisikili—kwakungabesilisa.
Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi abantu baseTexas bakhetha ukuhamba kanjani, i-TxDOT ifuna bazi futhi balandele imithetho yesifundazwe yokushayela ngokuphephile, ukuhamba ngezinyawo kanye nokugibela ibhayisikili. Abashayeli kufanele bathathe izinyathelo ezithile zokuvikela abahamba ngezinyawo kanye nabagibeli bamabhayisikili abasengozini enkulu yokubulawa noma ukulimala kabi lapho behileleke engozini yemoto. Imithetho yesifundazwe iyala ukuba abantu abahamba ngezinyawo bame ezindaweni zokuwela, okunikeza ilungelo lendlela kubahamba ngezinyawo kanye nabagibeli bamabhayisikili lapho bejika, kanye nokudlula abagibeli bamabhayisikili endaweni ephephile futhi ibanike indawo yokugibela.
Abahamba ngezinyawo kufanele bawele umgwaqo kuphela ezindaweni zokuhlangana kwemigwaqo kanye nasezindaweni zokuwela, balalele zonke izimpawu zethrafikhi kanye nezimpawu zokuwela, futhi basebenzise njalo izindlela zokuhamba ngezinyawo uma zitholakala. Uma kungekho ndlela yokuhamba ngezinyawo, abahamba ngezinyawo kufanele bahambe ohlangothini lwesobunxele lomgwaqo noma umgwaqo, bebhekene nezimoto ezizayo.
Njengabashayeli, abagibeli bamabhayisikili kudingeka balalele zonke izimpawu zomgwaqo, okuhlanganisa nokuma ezibanini ezibomvu nezimpawu zokuma. Imithetho yesifundazwe iphinde ibeke umthetho wokuthi labo abagibela amabhayisikili kumele basebenzise izimpawu zesandla lapho bejika noma bema, begibela izimoto, basebenzise imizila yamabhayisikili noma bagibele eduze ngangokunokwenzeka komgwaqo ongakwesokunene, futhi lapho begibela ebusuku, baqinisekise ukuthi amabhayisikili abo anokukhanya okumhlophe ngaphambili kanye nokukhanya okubomvu noma i-reflector ngemuva.
Izingozi zomgwaqo ezingaphezu kuka-3,000 ezihilela abahamba ngezinyawo zenzeke ngonyaka odlule e-Austin, eDallas, e-El Paso, e-Fort Worth, e-Houston nase-San Antonio, okwaholela ekufeni kwabantu abangu-287. La madolobha aphinde abona izingozi zamabhayisikili ezingaphezu kuka-1,100 ezaholela ekufeni kwabantu abangu-30 kanye nokulimala okubi okungu-113.
“Be Safe. Shayela Ngokuhlakaniphile.” kanye nohlelo lwe-TxDOT lokuphepha kwabahamba ngezinyawo nangamabhayisikili kuyizingxenye ezibalulekile ze-#EndTheStreakTX, umzamo obanzi wezokuxhumana kanye nowokukhuluma ngomlomo okhuthaza abashayeli ukuthi benze izinqumo eziphephile ngenkathi beshayela, njengokubopha ibhande lesihlalo, ukushayela umkhawulo wejubane, ukungalokothi uthumele imiyalezo nokushayela futhi ukungalokothi ushayele uphuze utshwala noma ezinye izidakamizwa. Umhla ziyi-7 kuNovemba 2000 kwakuwusuku lokugcina lokungabi nakufa emigwaqweni yaseTexas. #EndTheStreakTX icela bonke abantu baseTexas ukuthi bazibophezele ekushayeleni ngokuphephile ukuze basize ekuqedeni uchungechunge lokufa kwansuku zonke emigwaqweni yaseTexas.
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Novemba-19-2020